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Monday, April 18, 2016

April Drill of the Month

April
I was at the range the other day when the guy shooting next to me stopped and walked over which stopped me. I was laying on the ground at the time in the middle of my “shooting workout”. He asked what I was doing, as so many have before, and so I explained how I trained. He started talking about a friend he had in law enforcement and it happened I knew the same guy. We talked about our mutual friend and then moved on to guns. I’ll talk with anyone about guns so the conversation went on. He finally asked if I knew anything about a Mozambique rifle. I had never heard of it but asked if he meant a Mosin Nagant? We talked a little longer and then went back to the Mozambique. I told him that was a drill as far as I knew, not a gun. He said he only knew about DeWalt or Black and Decker drills not a Mozambique. I thought maybe he was pulling my leg. He wasn’t. I laughed and then explained what I meant by a drill. He was a little embarrassed but we both laughed.
The Mozambique has its roots from an experience in the Rhodesian war. From 1964 to about 1974, Mozambique was going through a serious difference of opinion called the Mozambican War of Independence. Mike Rousseau was one of the mercenaries hired to fight in that war. In the course of the conflict, Rousseau was engaged in the fighting at the airport in the city of Lourenco Marques (since renamed Maputo). During the fight, Rousseau, armed only with a Browning Hi Power, rounded the corner of a building and came face to face with an enemy combatant armed with an AK-47. He then shot the enemy in the chest with a double tap. Realizing that those shots did nothing, he shot one shot to the attackers head, ending the skirmish. Jeff Cooper, founder of Gunsite Academy, where this website takes its namesake, heard the story from Mike himself he incorporated this drill into his own training. In the 70’s he added the drill to Gunsite Academy’s courses.
The Drill
The drill itself is very easy to set up and run. Place a target that has a “body” zone and a smaller “head” zone above it out at between seven to 10 feet (approximately six to eight yards). A typical silhouette target or an IDPA/IPSC/USPSA target would work well for this drill. I’ve used two paper plates, one on top of the other with a circle drawn. If you are able to draw from a holster at your range, do so, otherwise start with the pistol either on the shooting bench in front of you or at low ready. On your go signal, raise or draw your pistol and fire two rounds to the center mass of your target and then transition up and put one round in the head of your target.
Keep in mind that just simply, “Two to the body, one to the head” oversimplifies what you are trying to accomplish. After putting the two rounds center mass, you need to quickly evaluate your target. Did that stop the threat? If it did you can stop shooting. If not, then transition and complete the third shot to the head.
See “Trigger Time: Drill of the Month” page